My favorite monument in DC is the FDR memorial. I love the variety of ways it expresses his era, the perfect craftsmanship, the visionary concepts. It’s not just a bunch of bronze figures (though those are there, too). It’s ideas and ideals in stone and water. And it doesn’t leave out his wife…
It took 47 years and $48 million to complete the piece and it had it's fair share of slogging battles to get finished. But it was totally worth it. HOWEVER-
Just as with Maya Lin's perfect and simple Vietnam memorial, this one had to be compromised in the finest tradition of public art, especially Washington DC public art. Speical interests had to be placated before the work was finally settled into place. In the case of the Vietnam piece, it was traditionalist vets (mostly from other wars) who wanted the bronze John Wayne style memorial to stand instead of the wall. And in this case, it was the disabled Americans and non-smokers of the states who had to have their issues honored.
The statue of the prez himself sits in a wheelchair at the entrance to the memorial. I try not to be totally judgemental on the artistic quality of works for a variety of reasons, but this piece is a real monster. It looks like a playdough posterchild dashed together at the last moment. In the effort to get it into place before the threatened demonstration of disaabled citizens, it looks like it was commissioned to the lowest bidder.
Now, I understand that FDR was paralyzed from his bout with polio in the 20’s. And I understand that those who suffer from the same fate want to honor his triumph over adversity. But, after all, he did carefully cultivate his image of strength and chose not to be identified with his illness. He wanted to be remembered for his leadership, not his paralysis. To dishonor his wishes seems to me to be a bigger dishonor than to show him as he specifically chose not to be seen.
Add to this the fact that there isn’t a single image of his omnipresent cigarette in the place. His damaged lungs would have choked at the thought of it. Though it’s typical of public monument controversy, it really is a disaster in this one.
(Photo from the crackofnoon.com website)
12:34:55 AM 
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